Joao Cancelo Is Man City's New Number 7 - Reminiscent Of Gallas 10 at Arsenal
Manchester City right wing-back Joao Cancelo will wear the number 7 shirt - usually reserved for out and out attackers - from the 22-23 season onwards, vacating his number 27 after former number 7 Raheem Sterling left the club for Chelsea.
Joao Cancelo Switches to 7
Players changing shirt numbers is a fairly regular occurrence, with the most coveted being numbers 1-11. This stems from the old days when players didn't have designated numbers and the starting players on each matchday would wear the shirt corresponding to their position. Although we now have fixed squad numbers, players are still usually keen to get their hands on "first team" numbers when available.
Cancelo chose the 27 jersey (his birthday is May 27th) when he joined City from Juventus in 2019, with the number 2 - most commonly associated with right-backs - already taken by Kyle Walker. With Raheem Sterling now gone to Chelsea, Cancelo has joined the single digit club by snagging the number 7 shirt.
This has raised a few eyebrows thanks to the shirt's association with forwards and right wingers. Cancelo plays most often as a right back, so for some people this change feels wrong, but in his defence he is also an excellent attacker and could easily play in a solely attacking role. The tag of "right-back" means that for the purists he should be wearing the number 2, or at a push, either 3,4,5 or 6, which were traditionally defender's numbers, although he has also worn 7 in the past for both Inter and Valencia.
Gallas the Trendsetter?
Cancelo has a predecessor in this regard, someone who flouted the unwritten shirt number rules much more flagrantly. French centre back, William Gallas, was infamously allowed to have the number 10 shirt at Arsenal when he made the move from Stamford Bridge in 2006. A talented defender, sure, but one not known for his attacking prowess. Manager at the time, Arsene Wenger, explained the decision to give him the playmaker/striker's number:
"Number three was uncomfortable for him and I had given the rest of the numbers out. In the end I thought it might be a good idea to give the number ten to a defender, because a striker would suffer a lot with the comparison with Dennis (Bergkamp). At first I was reluctant to give Dennis's number out, and especially to a defender, but overall I think it's better that way."
Gallas was made club captain in 2007 and scored an impressive six goals in Arsenal's 08-09 Champions League campaign, although his time at the club was marred somewhat by off and on-field controversies. Cancelo, on the other hand, seems a consummate professional and has proved very consistent for City after a slightly difficult start.
Do you think the number 7 shirt is a good fit for Cancelo? Let us know in the comments.
